Misleading Video of Lighting of the 2024 Paris Olympic Torch Goes Viral
The Claim
The Olympic torch being lit at a church in Paris.
News posted on
Emerging story
During the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, social media users widely circulated a video clip purporting to show the Olympic torch being lit at a church in Paris.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral footage and found the claim to be misleading.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the two-clip video making the rounds to be old and unrelated to the 2024 Olympic Games.
The First Clip Shows 2023 Eastern Tradition Celebration in Italy
Misbar’s investigative team traced the first part of the viral video back to April 2023.
The original video was uploaded to TikTok by a TV Italian broadcaster during the Easter tradition on April 9, 2023, and it shows people celebrating the Easter tradition, Scoppio del Carro, in Florence, Italy.
The video’s translated caption reads, “Even this year the flight of the Colombina was perfect. An extraordinary show, Happy Easter.”
In Italy, the tradition is known as the Scoppio del Carro, or “Explosion of the Cart,” which is an Easter celebration held in Florence. The archbishop of Florence lights a dove-shaped rocket called the Colombiana, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. The rocket then travels along a wire from the cathedral, igniting fireworks stored in an ornate, centuries-old cart outside the church.
A similar video of lighting the Colombiana was released on Facebook.
Other videos uploaded to YouTube show similar scenes of Scoppio del Carro, Explosion of the Cart, in Florence, Italy.
The Second Clip Features a Rammstein Concert in 2023
The second video is also outdated and has no relation to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Misbar's investigative team found the exact clip on TikTok, posted on May 23, 2023. The TikTok user uploaded the video with the hashtag "Rammstein," which is a German industrial metal band.
In May 2023, the band announced a European stadium tour, and it seems that the video was shot at one of their concerts during this tour. Similar videos featuring the same concert theme and stunt were also uploaded around the same time.
2024 Olympic Torch Relay
The Olympic Torch Relay, a remarkable tradition that harks back to the origins of the Games, began with the first torch for the Paris 2024 Olympics being lit by the sun's rays on April 16, 2024, in a ceremony at the sanctuary of Olympia, Greece, the site of the ancient Olympics. The Olympic flame then traveled to Athens, where it boarded the Belem to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Marseille. On May 8, 2024, the flame embarked on its grand journey across France.
This relay provided a glimpse into France's history, linking different eras and highlighting sites that have contributed to the country's reputation and influence throughout its history.
On July 26, the relay made its final leg from Saint-Denis to Paris, culminating in the lighting of the cauldron at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony. Over the course of three months, the torch illuminated more than 450 towns and cities across 65 regions, including 5 overseas territories, covering a total of 17,000 kilometers.
Around 10,000 individuals were selected to carry the flame across France, starting from the southern port city of Marseille on May 8 and concluding at the opening ceremony on July 26.
Among them were many athletes, as well as individuals recognized for their contributions to art, culture, and gastronomy, their volunteer work for charities, or their significant involvement in community life.
Video of Moroccan Players Celebrating 2023 Victory Resurfaces in Relation to 2024 Olympics
This Dress Is Unrelated to The Palestinian Flag or The 2024 Paris Olympics
